


let yourself just be somewhere different

by naiadies



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Don't worry, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, and Coran doesn't have any dialogue, lance loves keith back he just doesn't say it out loud, sort of, whoops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-18
Updated: 2016-12-18
Packaged: 2018-09-09 10:02:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8886691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/naiadies/pseuds/naiadies
Summary: Keith's emotions are just as intense as he is.
title is a lyric from Steven Universe





	

In the midst of battle, Lance doesn't think before he throws himself in front of Keith.

  
They're fighting the Galra Empire. Shiro and Pidge teamed up together to try to find Pidge’s family, so that left Hunk, Lance, and Keith all together fighting a rapidly decreasing army. They are all without their lions, because this _was_  supposed to be a stealth mission, in and out in a flash. It didn't quite work out that way. There was an army on foot, tracking the three Paladins as they rushed through the Galra ship. Eventually, they got cornered, and that leaves them here, where Lance has stupidly thrown himself into the line of fire trained on Keith.

  
A surge of panic washes through Keith as Lance collapses. Aside from Shiro, Lance is the only family that Keith has ever had, and now he's _dead_ all because of him, because Keith is useless and he can't do _anything_ right, he's lost all of his family because of _his own stupid_ _decisions and-_

  
Keith's vision goes _red_.

  
He battles fiercely, slashing through tens of Galra soldiers, because Lance is _everything_ to him. Lance is his _home_. Lance is the feeling Keith gets when he hangs out with the team. Lance is _glowing_ and Lance is-

  
Lance is _loving_.

  
Keith  _loves_ Lance.

  
Keith loves Lance and that's why Keith mows down row after row, _after_   _row_ of soldiers. That's why Keith comes back through from his haze _covered_ in Galra blood, Shiro shouting at him and shaking his shoulders frantically. Keith’s helmet is over by Lance’s body, he'd torn it off in his rage. Lance’s-

  
-unconscious body. Lance isn't _dead_! The soldiers had wanted to _maim_ not _kill_. They'd wanted to incapacitate and _kidnap_ the Paladins, not- not _kill_!

  
“-AVE TO GET LANCE TO MEDICAL ASSISTANCE! YOU’RE THE FASTEST WE HAVE! WE CAN BRING THE BLUE LION BACK, JUST _TAKE_   _LANCE_   _TO_ _THE_ _CASTLE_!” Shiro’s shouting starts Keith into sprinting over to Lance, shoving his helmet back on, grabbing Lance, and getting _the hell out of there_!

  
Keith ignores the sounds of the fight that is dying down and _bolts_ to the Red Lion, getting her into the atmosphere as soon as possible.

  
Red has never gone faster to the castle in any of the years she's _ever_ been active. Because her Paladin is in love.

  
Keith runs to the medical room with Lance in his arms.

  
“CORAN! Please, I _need_ you to look him over! Please! I don't know what's wrong, he isn't bleeding, I _don't know what to do_!" Allura and Coran come sprinting into the room. They've never heard Keith with that much pure _panic_ in his voice.

  
After a tense few minutes, Allura speaks up.

  
“Lance only has a mild concussion and a few broken ribs. His body armor took most of the damage, and there wasn't anything particularly life-threatening. It seems he just passed out from the pain. His concussion will be better in about five days, and his ribs will need a couple of weeks,” she says.

  
“When will he wake up, do you think?” Keith asked.

  
“In a few minutes or so, in the meantime we will wait for the others, alright?” Allura smiles at him.

  
When everyone else bustles in, Lance and Keith are shouting at each other.

  
“I could've handled it myself! If you hadn't butted in, you'd be _fine_ right now!” Keith yells.

  
“Oh, so you think I can't _defend_ myself? Well you've got another thing coming Keith, because I've made it practically _all my life_ without you, and I've turned out just fine! Not to mention I _saved_   _your_ _ass_! From _thousands_ _of_   _Galra_! And on top of _that_ -!”

  
And they all just see Keith's face... _fall_. His eyes slip shut, his bushy eyebrows go from furrowed to neutral, his sneer _dropping_ into a frown. Keith's eyes burn behind his eyelids. He takes a deep breath, Lance still yelling at him, and he just _drops_. His head goes to Lance’s shoulder, his arms hanging loosely at his sides. All of the tension just _bleeds_ out of him.

  
Keith _loves_ Lance, and Lance almost _died_. Hell, Keith _thought_   _he_   _was_   _dead_ , and he _slaughtered_ everyone. Even now, his bayard is a few feet away, dripping in blood, and Keith is covered in bruises and cuts, all because of _Lance_.

  
A few tears slips down his cheeks.

  
“I thought you were _dead_ ,” Keith chokes out. Everyone goes silent. Lance stands there, astounded and shocked. “I thought you were dead and I _killed_  them. I _know_ you can defend yourself, you do it around me _all the damn time_. I just care for you _too_   _much_ for you to _risk_ yourself like that again. I went hellbent with rage because I _love_ _you_. I love you, Lance, and I thought you died, I though I lost you. Please don't make me do that again. Please.” Keith circles his arms around Lance’s waist and _holds_ , burying his face into Lance’s shoulder. Keith's shoulders shake and Lance returns the hug, looking down at Keith's hair in wonder.

  
The rest of the Paladins join in on their hug.

  
Keith's emptiness for the loss of his family, for the third time, is filled.

  
And he might've even gotten a boyfriend out of it.

**Author's Note:**

> constructive criticism is always appreciated!


End file.
